tad

noun

ˈtad 

1

: a small or insignificant amount or degree : bit

might give him some water and a tad to eat

—C. T. Walker

2

: a small child

especially : boy

Phrases

a tad

: somewhat, rather

looked a tad bigger than me

—Larry Hodgson

Synonyms

• ace
• bit
• crumb
• dab
• dram
• driblet
• glimmer
• hint
• lick
• little
• mite
• nip
• ounce
• particle
• peanuts
• ray
• scintilla
• scruple
• shade
• shadow
• shred
• skosh
• smack
• smell
• smidgen
• smidgeon
• smidgin
• smidge
• snap
• soupçon
• spark
• spatter
• speck
• splash
• spot
• sprinkling
• strain
• streak
• suspicion
• touch
• trace

Examples of tad in a Sentence

there's more than just a tad of hyperbole in the critics' praise for the promising young pianist

grandfather never tires of telling us about the days when he was just a tad

Recent Examples on the Web

The laughs subside a tad once the focus moves away from Iris, which is noticeable given how amusing the film is up until that point. —David Opie, IndieWire, 21 Nov. 2024

The note is raised a tad in the film version, which director Jon M. Chu says was a mutual decision between the original composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and Erivo. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024

While White’s production needs to sharpen its pace and tempo a tad, there’s no denying the depth and urgency of the play’s themes, not to mention the wry pleasures of the text, Bioh’s rich gift for the idiosyncrasies of language and dialect, the rollicking musicality of speech. —Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024

But some, like brussels sprouts, have a tad more than others—three grams per one cup serving in this case. —Audrey Bruno, SELF, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from English dialect, toad, from Middle English tode — more at toad

First Known Use

circa 1877, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

tad

noun

ˈtad 

1

: boy sense 1

2

: bit entry 2 sense 1